UW Trustees Vote to Approve Program Fee Increases

The University of Wyoming Board of Trustees has approved a plan to institute cost-based fees for undergraduate academic programs during their meeting Thursday.

The fees will support services that would help the university better serve students, such as a professional advising program and expanding student success resources and career preparation, UW says. The programs are expected to improve student retention rates, while continuing to keep UW’s tuition and fees among the lowest of public universities across the country.

“This reboot of UW’s advising system will result in consistent, reliably available, year-round advising with centrally trained and certified advisers,” UW Provost Kate Miller said in a statement. “These professionals will develop intentional, relational contact with students to help them overcome barriers and challenges, minimizing errors that lead to increased time to graduation.”

The plan includes a common advising fee of $6 for every course a student enrolls in, as well as a program specific fee, the amount of which depends on what department the course was in. Those fees will range from an additional $3 per credit hour for some nonscience courses in the College of Arts and Sciences to $25 per credit hour in the College of Engineering and Applied Science and for classes in the visual and performing arts. Total revenue from the fees is estimated at $4.5 million annually.

Other services that will be enhanced include UW’s STEP – Success, Tutoring, Engagement and Personal Growth – Program, The Math Lab and Oral Communication Center, tutoring, supplemental instruction and internship outreach and coordination.